I can watch this sober AND high as a kite and be fucking amazed both times. A true master of the instrument expanding it past what anyone thought was possible. Incredible
Now I don’t know how old Jo Jones was when this video was made, but the fact that he still had all those reflexes at his disposal, physical reflexes to play all those complex rhythms, and at that speed is nothing short of amazing, miraculous! This is a lot about how Jo Jones lived his life that he’s this healthy and such an advanced age to play these kind of rhythms at the speed, precision, power, equality, that he is playing at is just mind-boggling! The man was a genius, the musical genius! In the tradition of BIG SID CATTLETT! (yes, and I know they were contemporaries)!
There are only a few drummers that capture my attention with a solo. Jo Jones is one of the few that keeps my attention waiting to see and hear what he'll do next.
Il m'est juste d'ajouter la grande classe de Mary Lou Williams. Comment elle allonge les valeurs du thème, auquel elle donne ainsi plus d'élégance... Voici un Trio pour lequel rechercher des archives.
Jo Jones est devenu un autre exemple parmi d'autres pour moi (comme pour bien d'autres batteurs jazz) : quelle inspiration, que de contrastes de "moods", de tempi, et toutes ses trouvailles dans sa frappe; je peux dire qu'il m'a motivé plus que jamais ! Grand bravo !
Beautiful capture of father time himself late in his career but still playing great. What we now think of is the funk owes everything to Jo and Count Basie's Rhythm Section of the early 1930s. The same thing that makes Swing Swing makes Funk funky.❤
Best camerawork for a drum solo I've ever seen! Thanks to the camera man for focusing on hands and not the Jo's face the whole time. Editing gets a little too "creative" at the end, but still awesome.
Personally thought it a woeful tendency in music film editing at this time - 2/3 second edits make it impossible for old eyes to watch. At least they didn't play around with zooming in and out.
I am not a huge fan of drum solos but when soloists are as good as Jo Jones then the drum solo becomes art and incredible stick control. Also at 7 mins 40 he even had time to throw in the intro to Am I Evil by Diamond Head which is pretty impressive as this is two years before it was released.
The vast majority of old school drummers roll like that. I don't know who decided to stop teaching rolls that way, but it's a much smoother way to roll than the standard way.
@@TheHeater90: to get that “whipped cream roll” effect you have to allow your sticks to roll in “CIRCLES“!. The right stick rolls clockwise while the l LEFT STICK rolls counterclockwise Occurs simultaneously! practicing it in a triple rhythm is a good way to get into it.
Agreed. This is an amazing musical performance. It doesn’t need a crazy creative editing job to help comprehend. Just hold the camera on Jo Jones as though you were sitting there watching and listening. Can’t stand these editors.
Papa Jo Jones appears uncomfortable w Mary Lou William's playing throughout (his facial expressions offer a clue as well) - beginning with her laying the melody line way back (Jelly Roll Morton actually developed this style many years prior ... some people thought it was a mistake when they first heard his recording...) and by the end of this song Jo Jones springs up from the drums before Williams is done with her fermata/cadenza. Jo Jones and Williams were not together - Jones was just too frustrated trying to find her groove ... As a professional drummer I can spot this and relate ... sometimes when playing outdoors, live festivals, the sound can be off - if a drummer can't hear the bass player or pianist well enough they cannot hear where others are placing their time feel. His show biz chops take over after he springs up off the drums and he offers his arm towards her with big smiles for the audience. Typically a jazz drummer will roll around the kit with everyone else in the fermata and make an attempt to orchestrate a grand finale hit...
He played the same solo over and over through the years. Always the rimshot tricks, always the fast 'clicker' on the floor tom.... Yes he was a great drummer, but if you compare a solo from 1960 with this one... nothing has changed.
